One example of a scroll compressor is a configuration constituted by: an orbiting scroll having spiral teeth formed on two sides; and a pair of fixed scrolls on which spiral teeth are formed such that the respective spiral teeth intermesh (see Patent Literature 1, for example). Hereinafter, this will be called a “double-sided spiral scroll compressor”. In double-sided spiral scroll compressors of this kind, axial thrust loads due to compressed gas cancel each other out because compression chambers are formed on both sides of the orbiting scroll.
On the other hand, because there are two compression chambers in double-sided spiral scroll compressors, they have constructions in which leakage is more likely to occur from a compression side to an intake side, and it is necessary to reduce gaps between the respective spiral teeth and facing base plates in order to reduce leakage loss. However, for the orbiting scroll to move between the two fixed scrolls without being restrained, it is not possible to set the gaps between the respective spiral teeth and the base plates (hereinafter called “spiral tooth tip end gaps”) too small when considering assembly precision, etc.
For this reason, leakage from the spiral tooth tip gaps is suppressed in conventional double-sided spiral scroll compressors by disposing grooves in tip end surfaces of the spiral teeth on both sides of the orbiting scroll and in tip end surfaces of the spiral teeth in the two fixed scrolls, respectively, and mounting tip seals in the grooves to achieve reductions in leakage loss (see Patent Literature 2, for example).
In other conventional double-sided spiral scroll compressors, tip seals are divided into two sections vertically and mating surfaces thereof are formed so as to have a saw-teeth form in order to suppress leakage from the spiral tooth tip end gaps (see Patent Literature 3, for example). In such configurations, suppression of leakage is achieved by upper tip seals being raised onto lower tip seals by pressure differences to fill the spiral tooth tip end gaps.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 3-237202 (Gazette: p.9; FIG. 1)
Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 9-324770 (Gazette: pp.2-3; FIG. 2)
Patent Literature 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 7-310682 (Gazette)